If you’re not one who buys into tanking or likes to talk tanking, this won’t make you happy.
According to Michael Rand of The Star Tribune via Access Vikings, the Vikings don’t really care about what happens in 2024, and their main focus is to win in 2025 and beyond. He believes the Vikings wouldn’t be upset if Sam Darnold doesn’t pay off, and they would start Nick Mullens, go 5-12 and get a top-10 pick.
“Like, if they’re being honest, they don’t really care if they win this year. Right? Don’t you think? Like, they want to win this year, but they’ve bought themselves some time by drafting the rookie QB. If McCarthy’s not ready, but Darnold isn’t very good, they can just play Mullens, it would not be the worst thing in the world for them to go 5-12 and have another top 10 draft pick. It would slow their momentum a little bit or whatever the kind of trajectory they want to be on, but it’s not about this year. It really isn’t.”
It’s hard to side with this thinking after the Vikings signed Justin Jefferson to a $35 million-per-year contract. Jefferson wants to win, and head coach Kevin O’Connell definitely wants to win.
Are the Vikings more set up to win in 2025? Probably so. However, don’t count out Minnesota trying to win every game it can during the 2024 season.